Don't get stuck with SAD
The days are getting shorter, the
weather is getting colder and the
amount of sunlight that we are
being exposed to is drastically
decreasing. The closer we get to
the winter months, the more we
may all start feeling the effects of
Seasonal Affective Disorder
(SAD).
SAD has been categorized as a type of depression that occurs during the fall and winter months. If you have been struggling to sleep or concentrate, feeling tired or irritable, unexplainably crying, experiencing body aches, loss of sex drive or increased appetite and weight gain, you may be suffering the effects of SAD.
These symptoms usually start in the fall and will gradually worsen into the winter months. People begin to feel these symptoms because they are not being exposed to enough sunlight or vitamin D on a daily basis. Much of our vitamin D intake comes from the sun. In the winter months, we can't get a sufficient amount of natural vitamin D, so we need to make sure that we find it in other sources.
In a perfect world, when we feel symptoms of the winter blues, we would just hop on a plane and go on a tropical vacation to be exposed to more sunlight. Since we can't all pack up our bags and head to the Caribbean, here are some tips that can help you cope at home:
If you find yourself experiencing mild symptoms of SAD, you may want to simply try adding more vitamin D to your diet. The first and most simple way to do this is to head to your local pharmacy and pick up a bottle of vitamin D or a liquid or capsule form of cod liver oil. These options will give you the highest concentration of the vitamin.
If taking supplements isn't right for you, you can add some different foods to your diet to increase your intake of vitamin D. Some of the foods that you can add to your diet that will help lessen the symptoms of SAD include: fish, broccoli, salami, ham, sausage, eggs and mushrooms. While at the grocery store, try looking for some of your favourite foods that come in fortified variations, like bread, noodles, soy products or orange juice. This means that vitamin D and other nutrients have been added to these foods to make them even healthier.
Trying a few of these simple tips can help kick the winter blues and improve your mood. If these tips don't do the trick, there are even more options that you can talk to your doctor about, like bright light therapy and various prescription medications.
SAD has been categorized as a type of depression that occurs during the fall and winter months. If you have been struggling to sleep or concentrate, feeling tired or irritable, unexplainably crying, experiencing body aches, loss of sex drive or increased appetite and weight gain, you may be suffering the effects of SAD.
These symptoms usually start in the fall and will gradually worsen into the winter months. People begin to feel these symptoms because they are not being exposed to enough sunlight or vitamin D on a daily basis. Much of our vitamin D intake comes from the sun. In the winter months, we can't get a sufficient amount of natural vitamin D, so we need to make sure that we find it in other sources.
In a perfect world, when we feel symptoms of the winter blues, we would just hop on a plane and go on a tropical vacation to be exposed to more sunlight. Since we can't all pack up our bags and head to the Caribbean, here are some tips that can help you cope at home:
If you find yourself experiencing mild symptoms of SAD, you may want to simply try adding more vitamin D to your diet. The first and most simple way to do this is to head to your local pharmacy and pick up a bottle of vitamin D or a liquid or capsule form of cod liver oil. These options will give you the highest concentration of the vitamin.
If taking supplements isn't right for you, you can add some different foods to your diet to increase your intake of vitamin D. Some of the foods that you can add to your diet that will help lessen the symptoms of SAD include: fish, broccoli, salami, ham, sausage, eggs and mushrooms. While at the grocery store, try looking for some of your favourite foods that come in fortified variations, like bread, noodles, soy products or orange juice. This means that vitamin D and other nutrients have been added to these foods to make them even healthier.
Trying a few of these simple tips can help kick the winter blues and improve your mood. If these tips don't do the trick, there are even more options that you can talk to your doctor about, like bright light therapy and various prescription medications.
